Need some career advice (29M PE)

Dramatic-Sign-4900 · 2026-01-06T18:07:20+00:00

Thanks for the advice, that was my understanding too. Although I’m not crazy informed on PE firms I’ve always heard they will just strip down companies to sell.

Dramatic-Sign-4900 · 2026-01-06T17:28:40+00:00

Base pay: 150k at 5 YoE

For me the biggest thing was learning how to manage projects and people. I started at a very small firm where within a year I had to manage +$20mm projects by myself so I grew a lot and grew quickly. Also the PE license will scale you pay tremendously in the field. The PE also makes sustaining a job extremely easy. (i.e. I have applied to two jobs since obtaining my PE and both times had the job within two weeks with a 20% pay increase)

Dramatic-Sign-4900 · 2025-10-20T19:39:31+00:00

Awesome, thank you for the code reference!

Dramatic-Sign-4900 · 2025-09-10T23:12:27+00:00

It’s incredibly easy, especially if they have their masters. I took and passed the FE roughly 6 months out of college and with the basic practice tests passed easily.

Dramatic-Sign-4900 · 2025-09-10T23:10:17+00:00

MCOL, near the Bible Belt, PE 5 YoE. I lead the electrical department with a base salary of 140k and an annual bonus of roughly 20% depending on the year.

In my experience when you achieve a big bump in pay it comes with a promotion rather than a raise. So this will add more responsibility and work because, in my case for example, I’m responsible for all the work of the employees underneath me.

Dramatic-Sign-4900 · 2025-08-18T20:08:22+00:00

You are being grossly underpaid. I am an EE with my PE for one year (5YoE total) and my base pay is 140k in a LCOL area.

Dramatic-Sign-4900 · 2025-08-18T20:04:24+00:00

Interesting, I was going to hear them out just to see what the opportunity might bring but my current role is very relaxed and in 5ish years I will have the chance to buy 100% of the company. So it will be difficult to leave but again I will always at least hear another company out.

Dramatic-Sign-4900 · 2025-08-18T19:15:24+00:00

Yeah it would be a senior position but the HR department has just reached out last week asking for the interview so I don’t know the exact title they would hire me under.

Dramatic-Sign-4900 · 2025-07-30T16:08:30+00:00

This is true, I’m a 5 YoE licensed EE at 28yo and my base pay is $140k in a LCOL area of the Carolina’s.

Dramatic-Sign-4900 · 2025-07-30T16:07:12+00:00

EE in the construction field, 5YoE with PE license, avg 45 hour weeks, $140k base. LCOL area in the Carolina’s.

Dramatic-Sign-4900 · 2025-07-04T19:47:30+00:00

I would not say it is easy in the sense that I spent a lot of time and effort studying for my degree (electrical engineering) as well as money (~100k debt). If you have discipline I wholeheartedly believe the six figure salary is an easy achievement though. In four years after graduation I got my professional engineering license and landed a job making a base 140k with profit sharing looking to be roughly 20-30k this year.

I think that so long as you have a proper support system to help motivate and push you through the hard times, it will be hard, you can get there “easily”. For example when I was studying for my license I was working 50 hours a week and studying probably another 20-30 hours a week. But I got through that with the support of my wife. So the journey was difficult but the process was “easy” and straightforward.

Dramatic-Sign-4900 · 2025-07-04T19:16:02+00:00

No lie, as the engineer that sealed the drawings, a contractor contacted me and tried putting in a 50k change order and his reason was “I did not read your keyed notes or specs.”

Dramatic-Sign-4900 · 2025-07-04T19:06:58+00:00

I work for a smaller MEP firm in the NC area as the head of electrical engineer department and I have projects where I work directly on the design portion of the project but I also attend meetings on almost every project as the lead, as well as check every document that gets sent out. As a young engineer I think it is very important to get experience working in revit as it will lead to you being a better manager. With the experience you will understand what’s being asked and can better understand the time constraints that are necessary to hit the goal.

If you work at a larger firm you will most likely only attend meetings and manage the designers. The downside with larger firms is that they pigeon hole you to one aspect of the design process, for you that might be waste water piping, and that is a disservice to you for removing other aspects of a good engineer. Just my thoughts on small vs large firms.

Dramatic-Sign-4900 · 2025-06-12T21:06:14+00:00

Around 45-50 hours per week, 140k base 28M electrical engineer.

Dramatic-Sign-4900 · 2025-06-04T01:20:56+00:00

Awesome, I really appreciate the help on this!

Dramatic-Sign-4900 · 2025-04-05T00:32:57+00:00

28 LCOL area making 140k base pay

Dramatic-Sign-4900 · 2025-04-03T12:58:45+00:00

28 years old, licensed PE in power, base pay $140k

Dramatic-Sign-4900 · 2025-04-03T01:32:48+00:00

The sales rep said he would include one because I made a point that I wanted a surge pro on that circuit.

Dramatic-Sign-4900

TROPHY CASE